Darklore and Roswell

Dark Lore is an excellent new publication that is the brainchild of Greg Taylor of The Daily Grail.
The book contains a fascinating chapter by Blair MacKenzie Blake titled Incredible As It May Seem which offers an intriguing, and seldom-discussed theory for Roswell that is connected with a relatively obscure UFO novel titled The Flying Saucer that was written by Bernard Newman (an author with some intriguing intelligence ties) and published in 1948.
Blair spends quite a bit of time discussing my Body Snatchers in the Desert in what is a highly thought-provoking paper.
Dark Lore is definitely a book well worth investing your money in.

Fugos and Saucers

Here's a very good article on Japan's Fugo balloons, with data on the 1947 Flying Saucer wave.

The FBI, Flying Discs and Fugo Balloons

Here's something I wrote a while back, but I still consider it to be wholly valid:

"I want to draw your attention to the fact that even the FBI drew a parallel between the investigation of UFOs in the summer of 1947 and the Japanese Balloon wave of a few years earlier.

"The document quoted below shows that in the period of summer 1947 there was a 'mindset' that suggested disc sightings were not unlike the Japanese Fugo balloon sightings and investigations of a couple of years earlier.

"This demonstrates why - possibly - some people in the official world (even perhaps at the Roswell Army Air Field) made a psychological association between discs and balloons in the early period of summer 1947 and why they might have thought the 2 were connected (hence the Roswell Press Release). The following is extracted from a 1947 FBI document."

It is felt that the situation regarding these flying saucers and flying disks is very similar to the situation which was previously encountered by the Bureau during the past war in handling complaints arising out of the sightings of Japanese balloons. You will recall that at the inception of these complaints the Bureau conducted considerable investigation and located numerous balloons as a cooperative measure for the Army then informed that these were military weapons and that they would take over the handling of these completely. This they did and in an extremely short time issued a big press release as to the splendid work of the Army in locating these Japanese balloons. From the information available thus far it does not appear that these disks should be treated other than as a military weapon. Certainly the Bureau has no way to determine what experiments the Army and Navy are conducting and whether such might be arising out of experiments being conducted by them, nor do we have any way of determining how far the Russians have progressed in certain experiments and whether such might be the results of experiments by the Russian Army.

I continued thus: "So, the FBI drew a parallel between investigations into discs in 1947 with investigations into Japanese Fugo Balloons in 1944/45.

"And, based on their previous experience with the Japanese balloons, the FBI stated that:
'From the information available thus far it does not appear that these discs should be treated other than as a military weapon.'

"In other words, the FBI felt that disks were a military weapon and the line of thinking in official circles was that they should be treated - at an investigative level - in a similar way that the Japanese Fugo Balloons were investigated.

"That, in official quarters, people were seeing parallels between the Japanese Balloon saga of 1945 and the disc wave of only 2 years later, again reinforces why some people in the official world might have been inclined to think that disks were balloon- like and that balloon debris might be from a disc - because these parallels and ideas were already circulating.

"What we need to do is focus perhaps less on the reports, but on what was going through the minds of the official world when disc sightings began in the summer of '47. Were they perceiving these things as alien spaceships? For the most part: No. Were they drawing parallels between the Japanese balloon raids of 2 years previously? Yes. Official files - such as the FBI document above - reflect that attitude.

"As this FBI document shows, from the very beginning parallels were being drawn up in the official world between Japanese balloon based operations of 1944-5 with what was happening with disc reports in 1947.

"And if people in the official world were seeing/investigating unusual balloons from Japan in 1944/1945, then those same people might apply - as the FBI certainly did - the same line of thinking to what was being seen in 1947. Hence the circulating idea that perhaps discs were constructed upon balloon principles, or were at least inter-linked with all this somehow.

"That actually makes it much easier to understand why the people at Roswell - after finding a huge field of balloon debris - might have assumed there was a disc connection, (or far more importantly than a connection - a parallel) to balloon debris.

"That thought/connection/parallel was already floating around (particularly with the FBI, as we have seen)."

Adam Gorightly On Body Snatchers

Here's an extract from a blog-post by Adam Gorightly (author of the excellent The Prankster and the Conspiracy) on the July 2007 Roswell UFO Festival that we both attended. With respect to my lecture on my Body Snatchers in the Desert book, Adam said:

"Nick Redfern’s lecture, Bodysnatchers in the Desert, provided some of the more controversial moments of the festival. In particular, when one contentious audience member challenged Nick’s theory (that the so-called alien bodies observed might have been experimental human test subjects afflicted with the disease progeria).

"In rebuttal, said contentious audience member cited the recent release of Walter Haut’s postmortem death bed confession, and accused Nick of dismissing Haut’s affidavit, and worse, of not having even read it.

"However, Nick repeated that he indeed took Haut’s 'confession' seriously, and had in fact read the affidavit, but that the reference to 'bodies' therein did not necessarily imply the existence of actual aliens, a conclusion that many in the UFO field immediately jumped to.

"To some, challenging the Roswell-dead-alien-theory is akin to roasting Ufology’s most sacred cow, which Nick pointed out during Sunday’s speaker’s panel. Unfortunately, there are those within the UFO field who see Roswell as the fundamental linchpin holding the entire ET Hypothesis together, and that if Roswell is proven to be something other than an alien crash, it might indeed bring down a whole Ufological house of cards, which is rather short sighted, but is nonetheless the sentiment I seem to pick up on when–among the Ufological set–anyone dares challenge the Roswell crash as anything other than extraterrestrial in origin.

"Which is not to say that Mr. Redfern (or your humble author, for that matter) has come to a definitive conclusion as to what happened at Roswell although Nick seems as open as anyone to the possibility of ET’s visiting our planet.

"The point he was trying to make is that we need to look objectively at all UFO cases, not only Roswell, and let the truth lead us where it may. (Leave your agendas at the door, please.) And if indeed Roswell was something other than an alien crash, then let’s be willing to face those facts as they emerge, and then get on with further research."

Unit 731: Declassified Documents

A wealth of formerly-classified files - and crucial background data - on Japan's notorious Unit 731 (see this photo for an example of their "work") and its military's secret Fugo balloon flights over the United States during the Second World War has been declassified and is now available for inspection at the National Archives in Maryland. Click here for details.

The Best Of Roswell

The Best of Roswell is a recently-published book that includes all of the various articles on the Roswell controversy that have appeared in Fate Magazine over the course of the last few decades.
You will find in its pages a debate between myself and Roswell author and investigator Kevin Randle on the subject of my Body Snatchers in the Desert book.
The Best of Roswell also contains a wealth of seldom-discussed data from Fortean authority John Keel on secret Japanese balloon flights over the United States in the final stages of the Second World War - including officially-unacknowledged, but rumored, manned-flights - that may had a major bearing upon the legends of crashed UFOs.

Matt Cale On Body Snatchers And The Roswell UFO Festival

In July 2007, amid blistering temperatures and surrounded by stars of both Star Trek (Chase Masterson) and The X-Files (Dean Haglund) I lectured at the annual UFO Festival at Roswell, New Mexico.
Most of the attendees (and indeed most of the speakers, too!) were hardly enamored by the fact that here I was, about to suggest that nothing of an alien nature ever crashed in the deserts outside of Roswell back in 1947. Some, however - such as attendee Matt Cale - were not so scathing about anything that might upset the Roswell apple-cart.
Cale wrote a good report on my lecture, which can be found here.

Stuart Miller Of UFO Review Praises Body Snatchers

Stuart Miller, of the acclaimed UFO Review, has this to say about Body Snatchers in the Desert:

In "Body Snatchers", Nick almost certainly offers the definitive explanation about what happened at Roswell. It may not be what you want to hear because I will tell you right now; it doesn't involve aliens, but as you read what he says, if your reaction is the same as mine was, then you will find yourself reluctantly coming to the conclusion that he has probably cracked it. As you read it, there is a "dreaded" sense of feeling that it all just seems to make a horrible sense.
There is a lot to take in and it will be difficult to absorb in one hit but as you do, you will be struck with a further wave of shock as you then consider the implications of what he has to say. They are very, very profound for this subject that we love.
For others there will be a sense of relief that, as they see it, this albatross is finally removed from around their necks and Ufology can get on with its "life" unfettered by the distraction of this incident.
I would like to congratulate Nick on what I consider to be a truly excellent piece of research. My feeling is that this may well come to be regarded as his seminal work.
The essential point of Nick's case is not new, although it actually may be new to you. The theory first surfaced with author John Keel about fifteen years ago although he was off base quite a bit, but in the mid 90s "Popular Mechanics" got very close indeed. Not quite there, but nearly. It is an interesting exercise to go back and read their piece again. They obviously had contacts.
And others have been there too. It's been looked at, tossed around, laughed at, dismissed, and generally considered very unlikely. It will be a little harder to discard this time though. Nick presents new witness testimony and documentation and the way he pulls it all together is impressive. What is also interesting is the manner in which the story came to him. From two different separate strands, separated by five years.
So the truth has been out there, of sorts, for a while. They have told us. They just didn't tell us they were telling us.
There is bound to be controversy caused by Nick's conclusions and perhaps even mocking, and it would be naïve to expect otherwise. A lot of people are going to be disturbed by this. A lot of people have given their ufological professional lives to pursuing a particular aspect of Roswell or a particular case and all will be deeply affected and that should not be under estimated. The controversy will be welcomed. There are bound to be rough edges to Nick's story here and there and possible occasional inaccuracies but it is unlikely they will undermine the core of his account. But Nick would welcome the interest and input of other researchers, without question. He hopes that people will go out and check up on what he has written for them selves, and possibly even take the story further. His narrative also opens up many other potential avenues of research.
If people accept what he has written and fully comprehend the consequences, then the affects will take time to filter through. The details, although a lot, you will take on board. It's the digestion process afterwards where the pain might come.
Most of you though will be disappointed, but, we cannot hide from the truth. Nick has, quite frankly, done us an enormous favour and I consider this to be, unquestionably, the most important book in relation to Ufology for a very, very long time. Possibly ever.

Magonia and Desert Cover-Ups

Magonia magazine provides a balanced review of Body Snatchers.

Mike Heiser Comments On Body Snatchers

Author and researcher Mike Heiser comments on Body Snatchers in the Desert.

Concatenation Reviews Body Snatchers

Body Snatchers under the microscope...

Body Snatchers: The Press Release

Click here to download the press release on Body Snatchers in the Desert.